A few months ago, sewing became the new "it" thing in our house. Pillowcases, simple bags, and... well, more pillowcases were sewn with upcycled fabrics. Now we have another goal for our new hobby: making patchworks of any shape and size. The idea came when a favorite shirt with an interesting print on the front became worse for the wear...
Simple Green: Make a Patchwork Quilt
Instead of using the shirt for a shop rag, we opted for cutting out our favorite part (it's an eco-message; a celtic-looking tree is surrounded by the words "conserve and protect") and starting a pile of scraps. Once we have enough for a throw, we'll hopefully be advanced enough in the sewing department to put together a convincing quilt. After all, this isn't far off from what grandmothers all over used to do, sewing their own clothes and keeping the scraps to make patchwork quilts.
Do you keep scraps for patchworks? If so, be sure to send some advice our way...
Related posts:
• Modern Quilts: Got Me In Stitches
• Intergalactic Quilts by Jimmy McBride
• Etsy Find: Vintage Recycled Fabric Quilt Coasters by rikrak
(Image: Flickr member BruceTurner licensed under Creative Commons.)
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I have a giant box of tshirts from high school and college at my moms that i want to someday make into a patchwork throw. All the geeky band stuff etc... good times. Too bad I have no idea hoq to quilt. I'm open to ideas :)
view KimberlyM's profile
my boyfriend had a fav band t-shirt that had shrunken to be too small for him. i cut out the graphic part of it and sewed it reverse-patch-style into a coordinating color t-shirt. (this involves cutting out a hole in the new shirt, and sewing the patch to the inside of the shirt... kind of tricky to not accidentally cut through the design!)
anyway, he loves it, and his friends do, too! they've asked if i could do it for some too-small shirts they love, too :)
view p-wan's profile
Can anyone tell me what kind of quilt is being made in the photo...does it have a specific name?
view stellato's profile
@ stellato It's a cathedral window 'quilt'...really it is a patchwork piece, but everyone seems to call it a quilt anyway
view danishdesign's profile
If you're just starting out quilting, I would recommend "Your First Quilt Book" by Carol Doak; it does a good job of covering all the basic stuff without overwhelming you. And the Craftster website is great for inspiration.
I learned to quilt by taking several classes in local fabric stores and I found it extremely helpful. I was able to try out various techniques (hand applique, Stack 'n' Whack, stained glass, paper piecing, etc.) and get help from more experienced quilters, which was great. Taking classes prevents a lot of stumbling around, frustration, and waste of materials, I find.
The "scrappy" type quilts the post discusses seem to be less popular with quilters these days, but once you have the basic skills, you can use them however you like. Best of luck to you and I hope you enjoy your new hobby, Amber!
view STH's profile
And here's a bit of serendipity for you: I just ran across this blog post on a modernish-looking scrappy quilt.
http://blairpeter.typepad.com/weblog/2009/09/marquee-quilt-top.html
view STH's profile